


Magenta

by glassgoblin



Series: Carol's Word-A-Day Calendar [67]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-30
Updated: 2015-05-30
Packaged: 2018-04-01 23:50:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4039384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glassgoblin/pseuds/glassgoblin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Did you ever have a bicycle when you were a kid?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magenta

“Did you ever have a bicycle when you were a kid?” Carol glanced over at Daryl, smiling when she saw how he was staring at the small group in the front yard. Tara and Glenn had found a store that had several bikes already put together and left in a display. They had taken as many as they could fit into the back of the van, and then attached a bike rack to the rear hitch. They had gone back the next day to get more, and several that hadn’t been assembled yet.

Now they were in the front yard, putting bikes together and giving them to the kids that were interested, and a couple adults. The bikes were really community property, and Carol approved of the exercise they would inspire. She just wished that they had thought to get a few things like helmets, tire pumps and baskets to carry things. If they were fully equipped they wouldn’t be a bad choice for going outside the walls.

Daryl shook his head, only having caught her question. “No, didn’t have the money for things like that. It sucked sometimes, all the other kids seemed to have a bike.” He shrugged and looked at her from the corner of his eye. “Why? You think I should go down there and learn to ride?”

Carol laughed, “No, I was just trying to picture you as a little kid getting his knee scraped while biking, scowling at everyone you passed.”

He nudged her shoulder with his arm before draping it around her casually, “Stop that. I was sunshine and rainbows as a kid, you know that.”

She laughed again, drawing the attention of the people in the yard. Tara grinned at her and waved, pointing at Daryl’s arm around her shoulder and fist-bumping with Glenn. She said something to Eric, who was sitting on the grass and assembling one of the kid’s bicycles, and he glanced up to the porch too, smiling at them. “I’m sure you were a great kid.”

Daryl let go of her, uncomfortable with all of the attention they were getting. “Sure. You keep thinking that.”

“I had a bike when I was a kid. I loved that thing. It was aquamarine with a unicorn sticker on the rear hub, and magenta tassels coming from the handle bars. I thought I was so cool riding it around my neighborhood.” Carol shook her head, “When I showed Sophia a picture of me on that bike she insisted that she should have one just like it. Ed argued against her getting one, but eventually she had a bike under the tree one Christmas.”

Daryl looked at her for several moments, not sure of what to say. He knew that she didn’t like talking about Sophia much; keeping the past firmly in the past. He thought that she would feel better if she got some of it out though, so he didn’t want to discourage the sharing. “You were a good mother.” He held up a hand as she gave him a skeptical look, “No, I mean it. I used to watch you with her, at the quarry. You were a good mother.”

She shook her head, rubbing her cheek briefly, and so he dropped the subject again, pointing to the bikes again. “Think Glenn and Tara will start a biker gang?”

Carol chuckled, “I think Rick and Michonne could become bike cops. I can just picture that, complete with that sheriff’s hat, of course.”

Daryl snorted, “I think you should suggest that at dinner. I want to see the look on their faces.”

The door shut behind them, and Michonne stepped closer, “The look on whose faces?”

Carol tried to make her face go blank, but she glanced at Daryl again and couldn’t help her grin, “No one. Just idle speculation.” She waved toward the bikes, “Come out to see their success?”

Michonne’s smile was wide and she held up a white and red box, “I grabbed the first aid kit, just in case.”


End file.
